Fork in the Road

Ehsan Azad

Fork in the Road

                It was just 20-months-ago when the Dallas Mavericks were crowned the champions of the basketball world. They made a magical run that few predicted and it helped solidify Dirk Nowitzki as a true NBA star. Oh how things have changed since that magical summer.

                The Dallas Mavericks are in a unique fork in the road. Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson made a move to dismantle the championship team to create cap space to make easier movies in the new CBA, and also pursue another big star to feature next to Nowitzki. This past summer, they put all their eggs in a basket and tried to nab the summer’s biggest prize, Deron Williams. Unfortunately for them, Williams choose the Nets, and it cost them veterans Jason Terry and Jason Kidd to free agency. They made quick adjustments and brought in a rag tag collection of veterans. Former lottery pick O.J. Mayo was brought in with Elton Brand, Darren Collison, and Chris Kaman. This team was supposed to compete for the playoffs, while the Mavs still maintained a cap room for the summer.  So far the results have been disastrous for the team as they continue to fall down the Western Conference standings.

                Currently, the Mavericks set at 21-28 and are currently five games out of the 8^th spot for the playoffs.  The trade deadline is fast approaching and the team has a question to answer. Can they compete for the playoffs? If the answer is yes, then the team would be buyers at trade time, bring in some good pieces and try to make a run at continuing the 12 year playoff streak. Or, if the answer is no, then be sellers at the deadline and look for more expiring contracts and draft picks.  The answer is simple. Sell the team away.

                The Mavericks are a sorry team. It is a bunch of pieces that were forced to play together for one year and that is not a way to build chemistry. Also, your superstar is hurt for the first real time in his career; this should be a time to shut him down for the season and start to evaluate who you have on this team. Trade away Marion and Carter, bring in some draft picks and find out who on the team can contribute. Build a young, fast, tall, athletic team around Dirk for his last few years and compete for the title. Because once Dirk is gone, the Mavericks will return to irrelevance and futility.

                

Read Option Gone

Ehsan Azad

Read Option Gone

                The NFL from time to time starts to fall in love with new ways to play the game. Sometimes these innovations to the game stay and become a fixture in professional football. Other times they are just unique fads that quickly lose steam and popularity. Currently, the read option/pistol offenses are taking over the league this year. Some think this will be the way offenses are structured for years to come, while I think this is just another fad that will quickly become just a footnote in the league’s history.

                The read option/pistol offenses aren’t new to the NFL. They have had popped up many times before but no coach had really utilized it well enough to make it effective in the NFL. College is where the offense really flourished and it was used at variety of programs. Then last year, when Cam Newton entered the league, the Carolina Panthers installed the read option offense and Newton became an instant star breaking Peyton Manning’s rookie record. Noting this, teams thought they could risk bringing in quarterbacks who had speed and agility and install the read option to make them more successful. Washington brought in Robert Griffin, Seattle brought in Russell Wilson, and San Francisco mid season started speedy backup Colin Kapernick. The results? All three made the playoffs, with Kapernick in the Super Bowl.  So it’s settled then, the read option is the best offense innovation since the vertical passing game.  Let’s not get carried away and let’s slow down on demanding your team switches to this popular offense.

                First, let’s examine what exactly happens in the read option. The offense allows the quarterback to quickly decide on whether to pass, handoff to a running back, or keep it himself.  The offense is known to be quick and confusing to the opposing defense. Defenses have to rely on their instincts on where the ball is going to go. This leads to big gains by the offense and quick scores.  Sounds like a great offense right? It was this year, as it led the three quarterbacks mentioned above to their first ever playoff runs. Now, people are obsessed with this offense.  They really think this could takeoff and that it will be a watershed moment in the NFL. I hate to be the one to burst their bubble, but the read option is a fad that won’t last long in the NFL.

 My main problem with this offense is that it is too simple. Sure, you can teach it very well to anyone and they will perfect it, but if it’s easy to learn then it must be easy to beat. Defensive Coordinators are spending the offseason studying how to beat it and will effectively shut down those offenses in the next few years.  One weakness is that the offense is ineffective when playing late in the game from behind. It is better to throw the ball a lot when playing from a deficit in late game situations and if the offense is built around the read option then those teams are going to see a lot of games end unfavorably.  Another big weakness is that the offense needs a certain type of quarterback.  The quarterback in a read option has to be fast and can quickly think on their feet. They need to have insanely high amounts of quick twitch fibers in their body to be able to masterfully outwit the defense. Only 5 % of Qbs in the NFL possess that talent and only handful of that 5 percent can throw the ball effectively. That is the big thing right there, throwing the ball. What makes Robert Griffin and Kapernick so dangerous is that they can throw the ball very well.  It maybe be an offense that I based on the run, but you still need a good accurate arm.  And my last reason on why to abandon this popular offense is that defensive players are only getting faster.  If you look back, players on defense historically have been slower than their offensive counterparts. Especially looking at defensive line men, these guys were slow but powerful beasts that relied on their strength. Today, they are not anything like those behemoths. They are incredibly fast and have a lot of quick movements that match up to the offense.  Eventually, you will see that defenses will have the speed to counter any kind of run that the offense tries to throw at them.

In the end, the good old pocket passer quarterback and the pass happy spread offense will still dominate the NFL.  Enjoy the read option while you can, it will soon join the wildcat and the wishbone as the dinosaurs of the football world.

Catfishing

Ehsan Azad

Catfishing

                Yesterday’s news cycle was pretty boring in the sports world. Yeah Lance Armstrong was admitting to something we all know by now he did, the Cowboys were in the process of hiring a new coaching staff, the Mavs won four games in a terrible season for them, and the Rangers keep getting AARP members to their lineup. Then the biggest hoax/scandal of 2013 was unraveled to the nation surrounding the most decorated college football player in history.

                Manti Teo, the all-American linebacker out of Notre Dame, was having a storybook season that was being eaten up by the national media. He was leading a storied program to a national championship all while dealing with tragedy of epic proportions. Losing his grandmother and then losing his girlfriend six hours later was tragic for anyone to endure. The media reported emotional interviews that Manti gave describing this beautiful girl that was his love of his life. They talked on the phone for hours while she dealt with chemotherapy and she asked him to continue to play if anything happened to her. It was all too good to be true. And it was.

                Reports by the website Deadspin.com confirm that his girlfriend Lennay Kekua did not die, and in fact was a complete fabrication. Now, Manti Teo has come out and said he was duped by a cruel hoax. I’m not buying this guy’s story. The facts just don’t add up. All the evidence points out that on multiple occasions he said he met the girl and then he retracted those statements saying he never met her. Then common sense comes and says how you couldn’t meet a girl that you describe as the love of your life just once. The story just seemed too good to be true. Another rumor is that in fact Manti Teo is gay and is using the fake girlfriend to hide his sexual orientation. That could be true, but I am not going to care if that is the case. The logical answer is that Manti Teo was a part of a conspiracy to create publicity in his Heisman candidacy.

                Regardless of what happens, the truth will come out. Manti Teo will become a NFL superstar and people will forget this will happen. Enjoy the media circus for another week and we will get back to Lance Armstrong and Jerry Jones.

Jerry, Dirk,and DOPE

Ehsan Azad

Jerry, Dirk, and Dope

                A lot has happened for the metroplex sports scene since we entered the year 2013. From coaching shakeups to a floundering Mavs team, the Dallas media is having a field day with every dramatic storyline. So I guess it’s my turn to give my two cents on all the latest drama involving DFW.

                Jerry Jones wasn’t blowing smoke when he mentioned he would make this uncomfortable at Valley Ranch. He fired running back coach Skip Peete and then fired Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Then he pulled a fast one on us and hired Defensive guru Monte Kiffin to be Ryan’s replacement. Now the Cowboys are switching to a 4-3 and installing the Tampa 2 defense that helped make Kiffin a legendary defensive mind. I love the move to go to a 4-3 and having Kiffin just makes it sweeter. But do they have the right personnel to make the defense work is still a big question for me. We will have to wait and see but a lot of questions are still up in the air with this defense.  It doesn't help that the Eagles just hired Chip Kelley, who‘s offenses at Oregon averaged 601 yards and 50 points versus Kiffin’s Trojans.

                In the Basketball world, things look even worse with the Mavericks as one of the worst teams in the league. Constant fourth quarter meltdowns and inefficient chemistry has led to this terrible record of 16 and 23. Dirk Nowitzki is back, but he isn't helping this team full of expiring contracts.  Now rumors are saying that Mavs might want to trade Dirk for some young players and a lot of draft picks. This would be the worse idea the Mavs could ever think about doing. Right now only the top teams would want a player like Dirk to help them get the edge in the playoffs. They will give you players that won’t help the Mavs and draft picks that most likely would be in the later rounds. The best move is to keep your franchise player and keep financial flexibility for the summer. It’s the team’s best option for a better future.  As long as you have Dirk, this team has a chance to compete for a title. The second he is gone, it’s back to contending for the lottery picks.

                Finally, a lot of controversy is being made about Lance Armstrong admitting in an interview with Oprah that he did in fact take PED’s while winning those titles in his career. Some people say that he is a disgrace and everyone should stop supporting his efforts to raise money to beat cancer. They think since it was built on a lie, that they should demand their money or stop wearing his bracelets. First, what he did was cheating and that he should be punished by the US doping agency and be banned from the sport. But, what he did for cancer should not be forgotten. Lie or not, he did help raise money for a cure to cancer. Let’s not stop supporting his charity and his efforts to help out humanity. He is still a hero for those suffering from cancer. What he did as an athlete really has nothing of relevance to our everyday lives then what he did as a humanitarian.

                This has been a crazy year so far, and it will only get crazier. With the Super Bowl, free agency, NBA trade deadlines, coaching changed and even the draft, there is plenty of more drama heading for DFW.  Drama does help when your teams are pretty mediocre. 

Manning Down

Ehsan Azad

Manning Down

                He will go down as probably the greatest QB to ever play the game. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer that will no doubt be the shining example to all those wanting to learn how to play the position of Quarterback.  But with his disappointing loss versus the Baltimore Ravens last night, Peyton Manning’s postseason legacy has dangerously fading away.

                It wasn't his best game versus a tough Ravens defense.  You could clearly see that the low temperatures were affecting his throws and his accuracy. An early pick six didn't help things out, but his team kept bailing him out all day. Though the offense struggled, Manning kept them in the game with some excellent drives and efficient passing. By the end of the fourth, it looked like the Manning and the Broncos would be heading back to the AFC championship game. But, a spectacular last second touchdown by the Ravens force overtime. Then it all fell apart for the Mile High City. A second pick by Manning doomed the team as it opened up for a Ravens field goal to win it. What a kick to the stomach.

                His face showed us the disappointment. The miracle comeback season was all for nothing now. Again Manning will see the playoffs from home.  He will have to see his rival Tom Brady solidify his career as one of the best playoff quarterbacks in NFL history. He already has seen his little brother overtake him in Super Bowl wins, which has to hurt a bit. Manning is a dreadful 9-11 in the playoffs and he is worse when he plays on the road. He is also a staggering 0-4 in games played in the cold. This severely hurts him in the discussion over the best quarterbacks in history. The great ones win in the playoffs and on a consistent basis.

                He still is in my opinion is the best all time, not based on wins, but on the how he plays the position. No other person can man the position like he has for so long. It is remarkable watching him play, but his playoff record is hurting the great legacy he has built. Before long it will be too late and little brother Eli will move up to the front of the table. What a sad day that will be. 

Romo is the Problem

Ehsan Azad

Romo is the Problem

            For those who know me pretty well know that I am one of the biggest Romo apologists out there. I still think he has the talent of a top ten quarterback in this league. But, after tonight, it had finally sunk in that he has no clutch gene in his body. He can’t win the big game. Tonight proved it to me and to the rest of the world.

Romo will be in his final year of his contract this summer and of course the Cowboys will have no choice but to re-sign him to a new deal. What choice do they have? There is not an Andrew Luck or RGIII out there in the draft that they can snag. They don’t have the cap room to go out and outright sign a bad ass QB in the open market. They are stuck with Romo. While I still think that he will do pretty well statistically next year and in the future, I just don’t see him going and hoisting that trophy at the end of the year. People can try to point out that he has a bad defense, a bad running game, or a sub-par offensive line, but in the end the constant is still Romo.

Take for example tonight’s game.  Tony threw three picks, including one that was late in the fourth quarter deep inside their own territory on a really bad screen. Terrible call from the beginning, but as a veteran QB he needs to know to change that play. Also, Romo had no zip in his ball and was too reckless with his throws. Give credit to Romo for leading them within 3, but his mistakes are what cost the game for him. You could blame the defense all day for allowing the Redskins to run up and down the field, but they still got a huge stop for the team to give Romo a chance to take the lead. In the end, Romo’s decision is what ended the season.

So the Cowboy’s hopes are in limbo yet again. They have to go with their QB now until the future one somehow appears. Jerry Jones doesn’t want to go back to the old days when they went six years without an heir to Troy Aikman. Romo will be extended and the Cowboys will say that they have their guy. But, in reality they will be searching high and far for the true heir to Aikman. All they have right now is Danny White’s heir.

Holiday Mash Up

Ehsan Azad

Holiday Mash Up

                I have been pretty busy lately and sadly I have neglected this column. When I decided to get back to work it was pretty hard to pick a single topic to discuss. So much has happened in the sports world it’s hard to decide what is worthy. So here is a mash up of my ideas and opinions that have no relevance on the sports world.  Enjoy!

The tragedy that occurred to the Dallas Cowboys has to be addressed first. My thoughts and prayers are out to the family of Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown Jr. No one should lose their life that young, especially while in the middle of trying to achieve a dream most Americans have. Also, to Josh Brent, those who hate or criticize him for his actions may need to calm it down a bit. We act as we haven’t done what he is accused of. I know a lot of people drive home drunk and are lucky to even escape a DUI, let alone to be still alive. Josh Brent is human like us, and he made a terrible mistake in which he will live with the rest of his life. He didn’t want to kill his friend. In the end he will pay the price, but it may serve as a tool to help educate the rest of us that drinking and driving can never be tolerated.

                The Cowboys win over the Bengals was probably the best and most emotional game I ever witnessed in my short time becoming a Cowboys fan.  Watching you could tell that the death of a teammate surely was weighing heavily on their minds. Head Coach Jason Garrett used the word numb to describe the energy level of his players and he was right. But, the team rallied from 19-10 in the fourth quarter to win on a Dan Bailey field goal. The team should get a lot of credit for overcoming loosing a teammate the night before, playing a better opponent and rallying to beat them was just a perfect way to end what was a tragic weekend for the Cowboys.

                While the Cowboys celebrated a victory Sunday, they lost a player to injury. Dez Bryant, who might be having his best season this year, broke his left index finger late in the fourth quarter. He did later in that same drive catch a 27 yard touchdown pass. It was first reported that he would be out the rest of the year following surgery. Now, it seems he may delay surgery to play in a pivotal game versus the Steelers.  Who knows what may happen, but the Cowboys do need him, even if it risks his finger being permanently stiff. The Cowboys are still one game behind in the playoff race in both the division and the wild card. Dez playing down the stretch greatly increase the chances of success. He is clearly the best weapon the Cowboys have other than Witten and Demarco and the most with the big play making ability. If he plays, Dez will rewrite his image this season from immature punk to the play maker.

                My rule is never to watch Basketball fully until the month of February. Just doesn't make sense to tease myself with early season basketball. But, I happened to pay attention to this year’s Mavericks to see how they were with Dirk sidelined. Oh and last night I got my definite answer. They suck. OJ Mayo and Shawn Marion are doing the best they can, but man this team needs number 41 quick. If they continue on this pace, that sacred playoff streak is going to come to end fast. By the way Mark Cuban, re-sign OJ Mayo now. The dude can play.

Quick Rangers update. They haven’t done anything major yet. After they traded Michael Young, I was waiting for ESPN to break that they signed Zach Greinke. Then I was like OK, maybe they will trade for Justin Upton. Then I was like OK, maybe they will get one of another pitcher like R.A. Dickey or Anibal Sanchez.  Then I was like OK maybe Josh???  So far, nothing has happened, but Josh Hamilton could return. Yay? The front office better get another starter for this rotation, or they will be in trouble again next year. The offense has already lost Napoli and Young. I don’t have much hope for the Rangers now.

                My semi-Alma mater Texas Tech regained my faith and support of them this yesterday. After overrated Head Coach Tommy Tuberville resigned to take over at the University of Cincinnati, they hired Texas A&M’s Offensive coordinator and former Tech Quarterback Kilff Kingsbury as the next head coach. This surely made up for firing the Pirate Mike Leach. I have no problems with the move. Kingsbury is a Leach disciple and will return Tech to its old pirate swagger. Oh and he might be better than Leach, he just did get Johnny “Football” Manziel the Heisman trophy after all.

                Hope you enjoyed my random thoughts on the sports world. Now for a prediction, Cowboys beat Steelers 35 to 21. Now go make some money.